All eyes are on the Green Bay Packers as they begin training camp this week. For those of us who can't make it to the open practices, we are glued to our phones, watching the updates come in after each play.
That access gives us a good sense of how things are progressing on the field. Green Bay sports one of the youngest teams in the NFL for the second straight season and will need the practice time to get their players acclimated to the playbook.
The defense is usually ahead of the offense at this stage, especially for the Packers. The offense has struggled mightily with Jordan Love sitting out until he gets a new contract. The new energy that defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley brings has been infused into his players. They're flying around the field and making plays all over the place.
Therefore, we won't see any defensive players on this list. Instead, it features guys on the offensive side of the ball, so without further ado, let's dive into three players who are struggling at the start of training camp.
Andre Dillard was a low-risk free agent signing for the Packers. He has plenty of experience under his belt, even if his play has been inconsistent. However, he'll have to work his way up the depth chart, as Rasheed Walker, Zach Tom, and Jordan Morgan all appear to be ahead of him on the depth chart.
The good news for Green Bay is they shouldn't need him unless it's an emergency. That's especially good after the week Dillard has had.
Dillard has been getting worked by Rashan Gary all week, giving up multiple sacks. He's looked lost and has been slow to react in both the passing and running games. As a result, the Packers have begun rotating starters at right tackle, with Kadeem Telfort getting a run on Thursday. Tom isn't expected back until after Family Night, so we'll see if Dillard can work his way back into the starting rotation, but it hasn't been a pretty start.
I didn't want to throw Dillard under the bus without bringing the rest of his offensive line along with him. Although Dillard has been the worst, the other guys up front have struggled as well.
The quarterbacks have been under constant pressure, as the defensive line has shown off their newfound aggressiveness. They have looked very good during the first week and hope to carry that momentum into the preseason, regular season, and beyond.
However, the offensive line has a job to do as well. Their quarterbacks aren't going to hold up all season if they give up pressure at this rate. Of course, it will help when Tom returns, and they have their best group up front. Still, there's work to be done immediately, as their play at the start of training camp isn't up to par.
Although the offensive line's poor performance has played a role, neither Sean Clifford or Michael Pratt have been up to the challenge so far in camp. And with Love out, they are getting plenty of opportunities to make or break their spot on the depth chart.
This is, perhaps, the first time in Clifford's pro career that he's been challenged in this way. He had a great training camp as a rookie last year and a very solid preseason. After not being needed in the regular season, he was ready to roar in Organized Team Activities. This is the first real struggle we've seen from him.
Pratt, a seventh-round pick, is still acclimating to the NFL. He was a record-setting quarterback at Tulane, but he is quickly discovering that life in the pros is different. He has an opportunity to unseat Clifford on the depth chart, but needs to pick up his game if he wants to achieve that goal.
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This article was originally published on dairylandexpress.com as 3 Packers Off to A Slow Start at Training Camp.
2024-07-26T19:01:55Z dg43tfdfdgfd